Westward Beach Closed Indefinitely

Extreme erosion on Sunday closed the beach, with no reopening date.

Holly Bieler · August 3, 2026

Westward Beach is closed until further notice, after a night of high tides and heavy surf left the bluff edge dangerously unstable.

The L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors announced the closure Sunday morning, shutting Westward Beach Road beyond the pay gate along with the beach's 373-spot parking lot. The [roughly 0.4-mile road](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-02/high-surf-and-severe-erosion-trigger-point-dume-closures) is the only vehicle access to the beach, and CHP has issued a SigAlert closing it at Birdview Ave. PCH remains open.

According to the department, Saturday night's surf carved drop-offs of up to 8 feet into the bluff in some areas. Visitors are being warned not to cross cones, tape or barriers, with officials cautioning that entering closed areas could result in serious injury.

The damage compounds an already rough week at Westward Beach. On Friday, the county closed three restrooms after the ocean damaged the water line serving them; temporary chemical toilets and hand-washing stations have been set up nearby.

[Malibu officials say](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/point-dume-beach-malibu-closed/3924755/) the weekend's erosion adds to damage reported in late July around beachfront properties destroyed in the Palisades Fire, where seawalls from the burned homes no longer hold back the surf. In several spots, erosion has advanced close to the roadway. City officials reportedly met with Caltrans and members of the governor's staff last month to discuss the accelerating coastal erosion.

The battering surf stems from weeks of southerly swells, most recently from Hurricane Genevieve, which was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday and poses no direct threat to land. The National Weather Service has repeatedly warned of dangerous rip currents along the L.A. and Ventura coasts, where lifeguards have performed thousands of rescues in recent weeks.

There's no estimated reopening date. The county says it's assessing the damage and will provide updates.